


Principles of Chaos

by the_only_iris



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Anxiety, Attempt at Humor, Eventual Romance, F/M, Fluff and Humor, Gen, Mental Health Issues, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-01
Updated: 2019-04-25
Packaged: 2019-10-20 08:55:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,747
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17619353
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_only_iris/pseuds/the_only_iris
Summary: What began on the most embarrassing afternoon of her life didn't stop till it manifested into something she could no longer walk away from. The problem with high functioning anxiety is that saying 'no' becomes a problem, and therefore, several moments of slight trauma and chagrin follow without stop, and appear on random.However, [Name] needs to put things into perspective. But, she was cursed with butterfingers.And this curse led to messing up. A lot. Messing up each time only around one person. And that one person always being, her boss's boss's boss, Levi Ackerman.[Levi x Reader] [Alternate Universe] [Anxiety attack trigger warnings]





	1. A Prologue to Embarrassment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [Name] does not have good luck.

It was perhaps the most embarrassing afternoon of her entire life.

Perhaps, she should have said no when her stupid younger brother had asked her. It was usual, him sending her on errands while he had to work on some _stupid_ project at work. If you can relate, it was her anxiety that prevented her from saying no even to the simplest of requests. Even if it involved _condoms_.

         “Why can’t you go by yourself?” [Name] growled through the phone, face flushing red because she hadn’t ever bought condoms (not that she didn’t know which ones to buy).

         “Oh, please! Please, [Name]! We’ve been dating for three months and I haven’t slept with her, you have to understand how big tonight is for me! Come on, it’ll only add on to the ‘I-owe-you’ pile, anyway!” Her brother begged over the phone.

         “Which you have no intention of paying back!” [Name] would have choked him if he was in front of her.

Nevertheless, she understood his plight. She, too, was in love once. You see, her love story was a failed college romance, which didn’t last too long and consisted more of her dreams and wishes implanted on to a person, who didn’t share any of her interests, and only wanted to get into her pants. However, naive little [Name] thought it was love and her mind had registered that it _indeed_ was love, and therefore, what followed was not a discovery that the idiot man was seeing multiple women simultaneously, but instead, a full-blown heartbreak.

She sighed before allowing herself to calm down. After all, it was her brother whose diaper she once helped change. It was her brother who had recently entered the world of sex and was thriving rather well, unlike her miserable ass, which binged on K-drama and Netflix all on her own with buckets and buckets of chicken wings and not the conventional Belgian Chocolate Ice Cream from Baskin n Robbins. It was her brother who she dearly loved, and could not be mean to beyond a certain point (not that she would ever admit this to him, he would make fun of her till the day she died).

 _Anyway_ , she wondered before decided to grab her wallet and head out that Sunday afternoon. _How hard can it be? Buying Durex condoms, dotted, banana flavored_. Her brother’s girlfriend was a weird one, but she just hoped that she wouldn’t break his heart. Everyone in her family tended toward being sensitive, kind, loving to the extent that it might be considered a little obsessive but also assholes. They were all that, but assholes too. It was a strange combination. _I can even buy myself a treat_ , she thought before heading out. It was extremely cold outside, with the snow covered roads but neatly shoved to the side, December days have always been a rather odd timing for [Name]. She loved the holidays, but she was awkward around people, and holidays meant that people randomly showed up everywhere. And every other time of the month, ignoring the man on the sidewalk or the lady walking her sphinx cat was a very normal thing to do.

 _There it is_ , she thought as her eyes landed on the supermarket. She hated buying things, when she was younger she would tell her brother to talk to the cashier. She wasn’t always anxious, but random things triggered it and strangely, she had made it a habit to make fun of these situations. Her whole life at the moment revolved around memes regarding death—they were all eventually going to die anyway.

She stepped inside the store and walked straight to the section where she had last seen condoms being placed. She was called butterfingers when she was younger, therefore, this was a constant thought in her head. She promised herself and was extra aware that she would certainly not drop the ten-pack box of condoms that she was going to buy. She stopped short when she saw that there were over a hundred boxes, stacked one on top of the other, in a rather lego-like fashion. _Who even stacks up condom boxes like this?_ She thought before looking for the one that was the most easy to grab and get out of.

The condoms were all lined up like a deck of cards, instead, they were not a deck of cards but were ten-pack boxes of various flavored, dotted condoms. Her face was already red from the cold outside and now inside, it seemed like she was an inexperienced brat trying her hand at these because she was desperate.

 _I probably look like one of those creepy yandere female characters who buys these boxes for this guy she’s been stalking for over two years, and she buys one box each weekend and satisfies her twisted mind with an intense round of masturbation involving unused condoms and a boy who doesn’t even know she exists_.

Her imagination can run wild when she’s close to having an anxiety attack. Keeping all of those things in mind, [Name] went ahead to pick up one of those boxes—all the while seeming confident and non-anxious, which she was trying oh so desperately to hide. However, butterfingers would always remain butterfingers.

 

* * *

 

It indeed was the most embarrassing afternoon of her entire life.

All the boxes, which were stacked up so high that they were taller than she was, collapsed like a stack of dominos, with ease and a careful sort of gentleness. Before she could externally react, her mind began to shut down and her face began to light up, wondering what the heck could have cursed her when the dates were nearing Christmas. Tears filled her eyes, and an awkward laugh broke out, she always laughed when she was stressed. And the worst part about all of this, wasn’t how the boxes fell, but instead, fell on top of another person, away from her.

This person had no idea what was happening to them, dates so near Christmas. He must have also wondered whether he was cursed to have a stack of condom boxes fall on top of his head, especially after being shorter than the normal population. [Name] hadn’t noticed this beforehand or anything, she witnessed it all while the boxes were falling. _Not a good time to notice things_ , she supposed.

         “I am _so_ sorry!” She exclaimed, blinking those tears away, her voice breaking in the middle.

There came no reply but an array of swear words that she began to not understand because she was just that nervous.

         “I swear to Jesus I did not mean to do this—”

         “I would fucking doubt if you were a manic piece of trash if you did try to pull this stunt on purpose, so shut it!” Came the reply from the man, who was now surrounded by numerous condom boxes.

         “I’m sorry…” Her reply this time was low, she was feeling a little too bad. This was surely going to give her nightmares for the next few weeks.

The man turned to look at her now and her breath caught in her throat. She wondered right then if he knew who she was, but judging from the expression in his eyes, which were simply just malicious and not lit from recognition, she believed he had no clue on who she was. He had dark hair chopped in an undercut, and his eyes were steel blue. His features were sharp and _boy_ , was he handsome, but that was not something she needed to focus on at the moment. She just hoped that the two of them would never cross paths again. However, what made the afternoon a whole lot more awkward was how those steel blue eyes darted to the package [Name] was holding in her hand.

Her face turned beet red as she cleared her throat and felt fresh tears in her eyes once more. Anyone who laid eyes on the girl would feel extremely bad for her, however, the man in front of her showed no signs of sympathy. She began to think of her brother and how easy it would be for her to put all the blame on him, but she knew that would be incredibly pointless. Her brother didn’t intend for any of this to happen and if she were to blame something, then it had to be her rotten luck. She wiped the tears off her eyes and sniffed, feeling her nose starting to fill with the wetness of fresh embarrassment and sadness.

         “Tch.” The man, whose name she knew and hoped didn’t know hers, sounded and walked off, briskly.

 _It’s not even for me_ , she cried in her head. What she didn’t know was that he was trying to hold back a smile as he walked away. He wasn’t angry after seeing how embarrassed she was. _Clearly, the girl was not buying those for herself._ But, he didn’t have to act like he knew it at all.

When she walked to the cash counter and placed the box of condoms on top, there were chuckles all around her. Her face was red and her mind had already registered the amount of embarrassment that she had suffered for the day, in fact, for the rest of the year. She would go hide herself inside her room and permanently become a hermit and not show herself for the rest of time. _I anyway have to change my job now,_ she thought, thinking about the man she had dropped all those condom boxes on. _If he ever gets to know of how I work in his company, I am dead._ She thought before taking the cover outside.

What she didn’t see was how the man was waiting for her outside.

         “I truly am sorry—”

         “I don’t need a fucking apology,” _It was an accident_ , he thought but wouldn’t say. “Here.”

[Name] blinked before looking up. It was a snickers bar. She blinked. Then, she looked up at him with confusion. However, her heart was speeding up because she was very close to her boss’s boss’s boss who was also a very, very handsome man.

         “It’s very close to Christmas and since you’ve made a fucking fool out of yourself.” Came Levi Ackerman’s reply.

Levi Ackerman. CEO and co-founder of Survey Corp, a multinational technology company that manufactures semiconductors for computers and other hardware. Wherein, our dear [Name] works as a beginner analog design engineer. _I worked really hard for that job_ , she thought, pressing her lips together.

         “You look constipated. And take the fucking bar,” Levi stressed, annoyed with her delay. “I have other things to attend to. Unlike you, Miss Mid-ass, who drops everything she touches.”

 _He’s so mean_ , she thought before taking the bar of chocolate. _Yet…_ She saw Levi scoff before walking away, almost catching a glimpse of a smile streaking across his face. _So kind._

It truly was the most embarrassing afternoon of her entire life. However, she got a free snickers bar out of it.


	2. Condom Girl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [Name] has a few questions she answers herself.

That morning, [Name] woke up with a song stuck in her head. It wasn’t one of the popular songs on the radio or anything of the sort. It was Christmas, and the song stuck in her head was the Jingle Bell Rock song. Her eyes stared at the ceiling as the song played in her head repeatedly, she only remembered a couple of lines from the song and not all of it. So, the rest was just her humming miserably a tune of a song that she once knew. She yawned, before the song repeated in her head. She groaned before kicking her feet off the bed, and placing them on the ground. Unlike the rest of the people at her home, she liked walking around with bare feet. 

She checked her phone, probably the first thing she does every morning. Hordes of Christmas messages were piling up on her phone and her mind browsed through each of them. She smiled at some, rolled her eyes at others and paused at one particular message from one particular colleague. Conny Springer was a man she adored, but not in the least in a romantic way. They were considered the One True Pair for platonic couples and she thrived with that title floating around about her in the office. Conny was someone she had known since school, and had accompanied her through her college and Masters degree. Conny knew her inside out and she knew him, without holding anything back. 

_ What a lame message _ , she thought as she scoffed at Conny’s cheesy Christmas message. She was going to meet him later in the day, she’d make certain that she would give him hell about it. Yawning once more, [Name] got off the bed this time and made her way to the kitchen. She noticed her brother reading the paper, eating a plum cake at, she checked the time, 8 a.m.

         “A plum cake for breakfast?” [Name] asked, deadpanning at her younger brother.

He grinned back before saying, “Well, it’s Christmas! Where’s your holiday spirit, Grinch?” He asked, chuckling.

[Name] rolled her eyes before reaching for the corn flakes. [Name]’s younger brother, Felix, was a college student who studied in the local community college. It was an Art’s program, which she knew nothing about, therefore didn’t butt in. Felix was a lot like her in resemblance, [h/c] hair and [e/c] eyes, a sharp face with equally sharp features; sometimes, [Name] believed he looked too feminine, however, the muscle build up in his arms proved otherwise. Felix was a boy obsessed with gym, with him spending most of his part time job allowance on whey protein and dietary supplements. However, since it was Christmas, it was an official cheat day for everyone.

         “Where’s the girlfriend?” [Name] asked, seating herself next to her brother.

Felix sighed before rolling his eyes.  _ He better not have broken up _ , [Name] thought, a sudden burst of anger flooding her veins.  _ He better marry her and have babies with her otherwise the entire ordeal I went through would be for nothing! _ Her thoughts were serious.

         “She was too clingy, so I called it off last night.” Felix finished, with a large bite of plum cake in his mouth.

[Name]’s jaw hung open.  _ This isn’t fair, _ she thought before grabbing his own slipper and throwing it at him. Felix yelped before glaring at his elder sister, but paused when he saw how furious she was. He gulped before standing up, promising to finish up all the chores for the rest of the month. He even added in buying all her womanly needs as well.

         “Do you have any idea how much I had to go through because your stupid ex-girlfriend needed banana flavored condoms!?” [Name] screeched, her face red.

She hadn’t told her brother exactly what had happened, in fear of having him tease her as well. She wanted her home to be a sanctuary where no one remembered. When she walks in, it has to be a place where every embarrassing detail would be forgotten. However, that didn’t mean she hadn’t told anyone at all. She had poured her heart out to Connie and her other friend, Mikasa, however, the girl Mikasa barely reacted to anything that had happened. Connie, on the other hand, didn’t tease her since something relatively awkward had happened to him as well.

At one point, she was tired. However, it was a moment later that the doorbell rang. Felix stood up to go get it, in fear of his sister’s wrath, and noticed that it was someone his sister really liked.

         “How’s my favorite butterfingers? I’m sure we’ve healed from the condom episode already!” Connie’s voice rang through the house walls.

Felix stifled a laugh before feeling another slipper hit the back of his head. Connie peaked through the gap and saw that [Name] was quite displeased with the bald head’s sudden appearance.

         “Do I need to make another entry?”

She sighed. There was no way the embarrassment would leave her even if her anxiety did.

 

* * *

 

         “Relax. It’s not as if he gets out of his office a lot, anyway. With the new project, of which the details that have been shared with me are strictly confidential, Levi’s got work that he’s possibly  _ submerged _ in. And to top it off, there’s no way he’d even recognise you. Even after an incident like that. Apparently, I’ve heard, that he forgets faces rather easily.” Connie said, aiming to cheer his best friend up. 

[Name] sighed. There was no cheering up. She wished for time to come to a permanent pause and make holiday season last forever.  _ I’m sure I’m not the only one who wishes that _ , she thought before thinking of a reply.

         “But, Connie… let’s say he does remember me. And he walks by for coffee or something and spots me there near the coffee machine or I don’t know, somewhere in the bloody office, what’s going to happen?” She asked, fear masking her facial features.

         “I don’t think that’ll happen at all. First of all, he’s on the 12th floor office and we’re on the 9th. For us to meet is a chance that needs to take a chance itself.” [Name] deadpanned at her best friend. It was a lame joke.

[Name] sighed. If there was anything, she knew she couldn’t worry about it at that second. Besides, what’s the worst that can happen? More embarrassment?

The thought gave her the jeebies. 

 

* * *

 

A week after work began, [Name] couldn’t still be thrilled that Levi hadn’t seen her at the office. It wasn’t as if she had seen him around a lot, he was the CEO, and despite what she had initially thought, he seemed to be very busy himself. Maybe, Connie was right. Maybe, she really did have nothing to actually worry about. She felt relieved when she thought of this, and decided to buy Connie a chocolate drink for being nice to her and tried to make her understand. She smiled once before heading up to the vending machine, humming a soft song along the way. Her happiness was way ahead of her, she didn’t even think like she normally did every time she was happy in the past. 

For [Name], happiness was a very expensive gift she often buys for herself without realizing it. She has to pay back for the happiness with the happiness, it goes away in the blink of an eye. 

She froze on spot when she approached the vending machine, seeing Levi there with his secretary, Petra. Everyone knew about Petra, the pretty and kind receptionist turned secretary; her story is the real OG, from rags to riches. [Name] admired Petra herself, since there was nothing she could not criticise. As soon as she noticed Levi and Petra there, she skipped backwards and escaped sight, not even alerting the two. However, she could hear their conversation, which she knew was an invasion of their privacy. [Name] wanted to move away from there, but her legs were glued to the ground, the nervousness finally hitting her and the happiness finally leaving. Tears filled her eyes and anxiety filled her chest, [Name] was a mess right then.

         “Wouldn’t you have to report this at some point, sir?” Petra’s voice was almost muffled, but [Name] had a good sense of hearing.

         “I don’t think I’m going to worry about this shit, Petra,” Levi’s voice was just as she remembered it. “I get threatened everyday. It’s not a big fucking deal.”

_ For a CEO, he does swear a lot _ , [Name] thought before gulped once.  _ But whoa, threatened? Is he really that big a deal? _ She answered her own question inside her head. 

         “Sir, I would advise you to—”

         “Petra, fucking quit it, I know you’re worried, but this is getting on my nerves. I can handle this shit. Go and fucking bother Oluo or something. _Fuck me_.” Levi said, groaning before attempting to walk away.

This was when [Name]’s heart rate picked up pace. The footsteps were coming toward her. [Name] breathed heavily before turning to the opposite direction and walking as fast as she could, not looking back. However, there was no escaping it. Levi was going to see her. She might as hell hide the damage it would have caused if he not only saw her but discovered that she was eavesdropping. 

However, [Name] was walking and walking and walking, way past the elevator and into another round of departments in the company, now realizing how big the place actually was. It hit her that the man who was CEO for this entire massive building was being threatened. If word got out, not only would there be an investigation, but it’ll add unnecessary burden to the CEO as well. No wonder Levi wanted to hide this from everyone, especially the press. The least she could do was keep it a secret and maybe, even forget about it.

         “Not like I can forget about it. I can’t forget about anything.” [Name] sighed as she leaned on the balcony that looked down on the entire building. She was never really afraid of heights, but right then she wasn’t thinking too much about what she was seeing. 

She was thinking about Levi and how lonely he must really be. Petra seemed worried, but she saw that Levi didn’t want to worry anyone else. She sighed before resting her forehead on the balcony’s railing, and shut her eyes. She felt for Levi something she hadn’t felt for a lot of people before. Maybe, it was because he had helped her out all those weeks ago. Maybe, it was because even through that cold exterior, she saw that he was just a heavily misunderstood man with a mildly used heart. 

         “So, how much of that did you fucking eavesdrop anyway?”

[Name]’s heart was in her mouth. She felt nauseous and her eyes were burning now. She didn’t want to get up and face the voice that was next to her.

         “I knew from the fucking pace that you eavesdropped on the whole thing. So, are you from the press?”

_He doesn’t remember me_ , she thought before the answer came to her. _He hasn’t seen my face_ , she answered her own question. She knew that if she looked up, she would lose her job. Levi would remember her from the condom episode, and things will go back to being shitty like they were before she got this job. _I gave this job everything I had_ , she thought before accepting her fate.

         “Are you going to stand up or are you going to stay there like a fucking idiot?”

_He’s so rude_ , she thought, before blinking the tears away. Slowly, [Name] stood up straight, but didn’t meet Levi’s eyes. She heard a quick inhale, and a second later she looked up slowly, like a cat does when cornered. 

         “You’re the condom girl.”

_This is it,_ she thought before kissing her job goodbye. 

         “You work here.”

_Another fact_ , she thought before she observed some amusement pop up on Levi’s face. He turned aside for a second, before smirking once and looking back at her. 

         “ _ You _ work  _ here _ .” The tone was different and Levi stressed on different words. 

[Name] blinked before replying, “I worked very hard for this job, Levi sir, I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, I was heading over to the vending machine to buy my friend a chocolate drink because he said the chances of me running into you were very slim but turns out I screwed up by just—” [Name] instantly stopped when she realized she was rambling. 

         “Well, you have a fucking idiot for a friend then. I’m the CEO here. I run into almost every employee at least once.” Levi said, scoffing. 

He looked at her again and noticed how flustered she was. He remembered the condom episode quite well, and thinking about it makes him want to chuckle, even though he was someone who didn’t chuckle all that much. She was genuinely trying hard, which he could see, and that was rare to come by considering the company he kept.

         “Which department are you in?”

         “Please don’t fire me, Levi sir—”

         “I’m not going to, fuck—” Levi frowned before asking, “Why would I fucking fire you?”

[Name] blinked. “Because I eavesdropped?”

Levi made a buzzer sound that indicated a wrong answer. “Try again.”

[Name] gulped.

         “Because I dropped a horde of condoms on you.”

         “I’ve never heard a woman ever say that to me,” Levi said, rolling his eyes. “But, no. Not going to fucking fire you for something so fucking ridiculous.”

[Name] blinked a couple of times and pressed her lips together. Levi took one step closer to her and noticed her flinch. He was barely inches away from her now. He observed her features. She was [height] and had [h/l] [h/c] hair, which surprisingly looked good on her. Her face was red at the moment, embarrassment stricken all over her face. And her [e/c] eyes were staring into his own cold blue orbs. 

         “Say,” Levi grabbed the girl’s ID card and hummed before continuing, “[Name],”

[Name] flinched once more. “Does my swearing bother you?”

         “N-No, sir, it definitely—”

         “I didn’t ask you to lie, [Name].” The way he said her name caused shivers to go down her spine.

         “I wish you’d cut down on the swearing a bit, sir,” She said, not aware of where the confidence came from. 

_I just spoke the truth from fear_ , she answered her own question.

         “Well, good,” Levi said, still holding on to her ID card. “Because I won't fucking stop.”

_Of course not_ , she thought before looking at him once more. 

         “Which department?” Levi asked, coldly. 

         “Analog design—”

         “A smartass, eh?” Levi said, letting go of her ID and smirking once more.

[Name] looked troubled, and blinked a couple of times. Now that she knew she wasn’t getting fired, she didn’t understand what more he wanted from her.

         “You can get in trouble for eavesdropping, you know.” Levi dropped the bomb then.

         “I really didn’t meant to—”

         “[Name],” Levi said, coldly. “I’ll remember you.” 

He clicked his tongue before walking away. [Name] thought she would die. Connie is _not_ getting that chocolate drink. 


	3. Preposterous, Indeed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [Name] had preposterous thoughts. Which came true, sometimes.

Every day felt like a burden to her now. Her heart was constantly at her throat, and her fingers shook whenever she would even think of heading over to the vending machine. She could have murdered Connie for what had happened, but that would be foolish considering Connie had no idea that it would happen. _It wasn’t like he had planned the whole thing because that would be cruel,_ she thought before heading home one evening. It was dark and the metro rail was full. Even after four days since the ‘incident’ as she liked to term it, she hadn’t spoken about it to anyone—let alone Connie, who was a bit worried after seeing her return like she had spotted a ghost somewhere in the corner of a building. She didn’t tell him, hoping that this would be the last time such an incident would occur.

 _[Name],_ she recalled how cold Levi’s voice sounded when he had said her name, _I’ll remember you._

Another shudder went down her spine and she shut her eyes out of helplessness. She knew he knew that she was desperate for the job, and considering how very few people get hired each year, especially for the role she had landed, she had hoped that he knew she was smart somewhere down the line, as well. Even though he had brushed off the idea of firing her rather strongly, [Name] knew that she would always be under his beck and call, now that he knew she knew his secret. _If at all it can be considered a secret, but oh well_ , she thought before getting off at her stop.

Luckily for [Name], her mind gets off work when she heads home. It would be a strange thing to not worry about work sometimes even at your home, but [Name] never found difficulty in doing so. Being almost 28 years old, [Name] had learned far more than she had believed she had to—especially in her professional life. No romantic interest of hers lasted more than a year, which was the longest, driven away from her due to her ambitious interests, and the will to not merely settle down. [Name], unlike so many others she had met before, knew she was smart and knew she had more to achieve than just settle down with a family. Sometimes, the idea does seem nice, but her mind warped around the idea that there was more to life than just procreation. She was a biological rebel, far too wild to be tamed in a manner that involved taking up a responsibility restricted to her gender conformity or sex.

Her brother was not at home. This also meant dinner was not ready. And since she was far too tired to cook, she decided to order in. [Name] quickly headed to the bathroom for a nice hot shower, thinking about what she would order that night, and put on the comfiest pair of pyjamas that she owned. It was a Tuesday night, which meant the week had just begun, and this would already be the second day in the week that she would be ordering in.

She wanted to cook. She wanted to go to the gym and workout and maintain a healthier lifestyle. But she didn’t know _why_. She saw that people around her worked and strove in such a manner and flaunted around that lifestyle as they owned it, but in actuality, the lifestyle owned them. Maintaining these preposterous standards of living, alongside work, alongside family, alongside wanting to meet someone special, alongside the stress and pain of being human—and adding wanting to be healthy, finishing your chores, avoiding procrastination, saving the environment, being politically engaged, wanting to do more, more, more, more and more—it was enough to drive anyone insane. She wasn’t doing most of the things mentioned, however, she was not too far behind. The mere attempt to want to fit into a millennial lifestyle had doomed her in a way she couldn’t decipher, she was one among the crowd.

     “What do you mean you won’t deliver here?” She screeched at the vendor at the other end of the call.

     “Your brother ordered and sent it back! Four times it happened! You are blacklisted!” The call was cut right after.

 _Just my luck_ , she thought before grabbing her coat. The supermarket was nearby, and the second the thought of the supermarket hit her, she froze. _I can order in from another place_ , she thought but frowned. _It’s been close to two months since it happened_ , she scolded herself. _Let it go!_ She thought before heading out, without backing out.

She would just eat some junk food before passing out later. [Name] had her entire evening planned, she would watch a few episodes of an anime she had watching currently, she would eat her junk food in peace, without her bother of a brother asking for a few nibbles here and there, and she would sleep in her own mess. Sometimes, she didn’t mind sleeping and living like a hobo—we all had it in us.

She sidestepped and looked carefully from the outside. _Levi isn’t in there_ , she told herself and walked in, fully determined to exit the supermarket without embarrassing herself this time.

She grabbed four packets of chips, a coke, a bar of chocolate, and to please herself a tad bit more, she got her favorite pack of M&Ms. She looked proud before completing a full 360 right where she stood. However, what followed wasn’t grace but chaos. What she hadn’t noticed was there was a person right behind her, holding a hot cup of coffee, which was later spilt on their jacket. _No, it’s not Levi_ , she thought but was embarrassed nonetheless, before a barrage of apologies exited her lips. The man groaned and yelled, causing fear to hit her features, [Name] taking a step back in caution. She dropped the M&Ms that she was holding and gasped when she saw the man’s arm extend toward her. Her eyes widened before immediately shutting them, awaiting the impact that would send her flying.

Nothing happened.

     “What the fuck kind of loser are you to hit a woman?” Came a voice far too familiar.

 _This is a shojo manga_ , she thought before opening her eyes and spotting Levi standing beside her to her left. She looked ahead and noticed that he had stopped the man in front of her from hitting her, the coffee still raw on his jacket.

     “What kinda dumbass spills coffee on to a man’s jacket?” He snarled, glaring at [Name].

     “Don’t fucking step too close to people if you have a hot cup of fucking coffee in your hands, _dumbass_.” Levi snapped back, releasing the man’s hand.

Levi’s hand quickly grabbed [Name]’s jacket before yanking her away, leaving the other man to cuss and swear at probably nothing and his jacket, which was now stained.

     “S-Sir, I—” [Name] felt terrible; she couldn’t begin to comprehend how she could even respond to being saved by her CEO from a man who would have given her a nasty bruise on her face.

Her heart rate was escalating, and her mind was collapsing. An anxiety attack ensued, but [Name] was trying her hardest not to let it show. This caused more anxiety, since it was always a feeling of anxiety for not wanting others to know you’re anxious, a dilemma within a dilemma. Her eyes were tearing up, and her hands were beginning to go limp. Levi could feel this, considering he was pulling her out of the store, ignoring her hungry self (she probably couldn’t even feel the hunger, either way). Once they were out of the store, he turned to her and grumbled.

     “What shitty luck do you have with this supermarket anyway?” He was rude, of course, but that’s in his nature.

[Name] shut her eyes and focused on her breathing. Her heart was loud, her fingers numb, her mind loud, her face numb. Levi noticed the panic she had gotten into but waited. He knew his words would simply accelerate her anxiety, so he shut up—he wanted her to get past this so that he could do something about it. It was clearly not her fault, whatever had happened inside the store, and if she were blaming herself, which she most probably was, she was an idiot. Levi hadn’t spotted her until the barrage of apologies had gotten out of her mouth, he noticed the position the man was in as well and immediately rushed to her. It wasn’t because he cared for her, no; it was perhaps because he hated violence, even if he looked like someone who enjoyed it in secret.

     “I’m so sorry.” She said, loud enough for the both of them to hear, her eyes still shut and her mind still blank.

Levi kept quiet. He knew she was not done.

     “You can fire me, Levi s-sir. I’ll ask for a termination tomorrow and maybe this will—”

     “Have you eaten anything?”

[Name]’s eyes shot up to Levi’s cold orbs, him giving her a blank expression. He didn’t look like he was offering, he was merely just stating. And for a second there, [Name] thought she heard him wrong.

     “S-Sir, I—”

     “Stop calling me sir, it’s fucking annoying,” Levi snapped, noticing her flinch visibly, “And I asked you if you ate anything.”

[Name]’s eyes were wide. Was he offering something or was it simply a question? Was he trying to divert her mind from feeling anxious and think about regular things? Yes, that was probably it. Levi would never ask some simpleton like herself if she wanted to get something to eat with him, it would be preposterous, and the idea that she had even thought about something like this made her feel brave. Unnecessarily brave.

     “No, sir—I mean, Levi. I came here to buy some—” She quickly shut up before deciding not to tell her CEO that she wanted to eat junk food for dinner. “—ramen or something.” Her ability to lie astounded her sometimes.

Levi didn’t look like he was pleased. In fact, he didn’t look like anything. His cold glance was terrifying, to say the least, and under its scrutiny, her mind was tempted to simply shut down and not answer at all. That was the effect that Levi had on her. And to think he offered to buy her dinner—

     “There’s a Thai place down the road. Come.”

It was no request, it was an order. [Name]’s eyes widened, her limbs were shaking again, she had no idea how to respond to something so _preposterous_.

     “You’ve got to be kidding me.” She let out, without even realizing it.

It was when Levi cocked an eyebrow at her did she realize she had said it out loud. She put her hands in front of her, apologizing not only verbally but displaying an awkward physical gesture of the same. Levi smirked once before his gaze turned dark.

     “Don’t get any fucking ideas,” He leaned closer to her, closing the gap by a bit, “This isn’t a fucking date, [Name]. I’m taking you for dinner because I pulled you out of the goddamn store.”

     “I can just walk right back in—”

     “Nonsense, now, we wouldn’t want that,” Levi said, almost callously. “You have, after all, overheard a very important conversation I was having with my secretary. Let’s talk a few ground rules before I lose sight of you again.”

[Name] couldn’t believe she was being blackmailed into eating dinner with her CEO. She followed as a helpless puppy would with half the happiness, and didn’t mumble a word in edgewise. _I'm wearing pyjamas with a rider jacket_ , she thought before feeling a tad bit hopeless. As for Levi, one could say his face tinged 0.031% brighter than before as he led her along.


	4. Spicy Beef Salad and Thai Red Curry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [Name] finds her CEO undeniably attractive.

The Thai place wasn’t too crowded, and that calmed [Name]’s nerves by 5%. However, the rest were jingling and causing great difficulty in having her sit down and present herself as a civilised human being. Being enveloped with anxiety, [Name] already found it almost inhuman to be sitting in front of her CEO, ready to have dinner with him. Not only that, she wasn’t dressed for the occasion since when she left her home, there was no occasion to begin with.

     “You allergic to anything?” Levi asked, staring at the menu, not bothered to even look at her.

 _Maybe he was just hungry and since I was just there, dressed the way I am, he’s pitying me?_ Her thoughts were rarely kind to her, but right then, it presented her with a unique sort of solace. Perhaps because she was taking too long to reply, Levi shot his eyes up and stared at her face. [Name]’s face reddened instantaneously, before she began to shake her head. She couldn’t even remember what Levi had asked.

     “I asked you something, nimrod.” Levi said, rather slowly.

     “Uh, I c-can’t eat shrimp. I’m good with the rest.” [Name] answered, honestly.

Levi nodded once. He looked back at the menu and forgot about her once again.

     “They have a good spicy beef salad.” Levi spoke once again, alerting her.

     “Uh… Okay.” [Name] replied, not minding the choice Levi made for her.

     “If you want something else, just fucking ask.” Levi said, slightly glaring at the menu.

     “I’m good with this choice, sir—I mean, Levi.” [Name] corrected herself immediately.

Levi chuckled once before gesturing to the waiter.

     “She’ll have a spicy beef salad and I’ll have a red curry with sticky rice.” Levi said.

 _I did not take him for a red curry with sticky rice person_ , she thought before blinking. She suddenly felt underdressed again, a blush streaking across her cheeks. A moment later, she ran her eyes across Levi’s features. He was wearing his work shirt, but he looked more casual than he normally does. His hair was slightly unkempt, but it made him look all the more attractive. She won’t deny it, he was attractive, hella attractive, but with that sharp tongue of his, she could barely register his looks after. However, from afar, Levi looked delectable.

     “Take a picture.” Levi said, looking her straight in the eye.

[Name]’s eyes widened before she shook her head rapidly, “I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to stare—” She believed she sounded like an idiot.

Levi smirked dangerously before replying, “You sure about that? Most women like staring at me intentionally.”

     “I p-promise I was just lost in thought!” [Name]’s blush intensified.

     “And what thoughts were those?” Levi asked, placing his chin on his hand, elbow on the table.

He looked like he was giving her every bit of his attention. For a moment, [Name] could lie to herself and have herself believe she was on a date with this gorgeous yet foul-mouthed man, but she couldn’t. She couldn’t and wouldn’t think of her CEO in such a dangerous manner, she could get in trouble and that was by far what she was getting herself into lately. However, every word that fell from his lips were honey, and she found herself wanting the taste for more. Like a moth stuck to a flame, [Name] found herself enjoying his teasing, she found herself finding a sort of hidden comfort in his glances, a trance only she knew about—a secret she would keep within herself. This dangerous yet lust like familiarity that this feeling had made her believe that perhaps, it wasn’t too much of a hassle if she pretended that her CEO was interested in her.

     “There you go again, [Name].” Levi said, his voice low.

Her face was a mess, her hair was a mess, and suddenly, [Name] was reminded of how her entire life was a mess. She was dressed like a homeless person and it was a big deal that no one had stopped her from entering a fancy Thai place like the one she was currently at. Her eyes were fixed at Levi’s form, but her thoughts were elsewhere. They were telling her that she was screwing up everything by just being there, that she had no place to be sitting in front of her CEO, so dangerously handsome, and that she was merely a waste of space—

     “[Name],” Levi said, loud enough to snap her out of her thoughts. “You brain dead?”

Her eyes were filled with tears and it was Levi’s turn to be surprised. He was aware that she was anxious, and he was aware of her awkwardness. Perhaps, it was because she was awkward did he put her in awkward places, finding humor and a sort of joy in putting her under the spotlight. Her reactions were so painfully genuine that Levi enjoyed them, he craved for them and found solace in just teasing her.

But, maybe, right then, he had gone too far.

     “You can pack your food and leave,” His voice betrayed the tad bit of disappointment that he had hoped wouldn’t reveal itself. “You don’t have to sit here like it’s a fucking punishment.”

[Name] was even more anxious now. She knew that if she left she would no longer be put in such a situation. That even in her fantasies, the unassuming yet pretentious interest that her CEO had in her would fade away and even in her fantasies, she would not find herself wanting the attention of a man like him.

So dangerously handsome. So effortlessly attractive.

     “I-I’m sorry,” [Name] said, settling herself more into her seat. Levi cocked an eyebrow at her response. “I got anxious.”

‘ _I got anxious_ ’, was something she had never allowed herself to tell anyone except Connie, who had been her friend for a long time. Levi was perhaps the only stranger she had confided to, and maybe, the situation called for it. Levi waited, almost having understood that she was not done.

     “I… “ She gulped before finally continuing, “I get anxious when there’s any sort of attention on me. I’m sorry I’m so awkward, I really am not used to being in such situations. The past two times I met you, even back in the company, I just… I happen to only meet you in situations where I’m making such a fool out of myself… I wish,” [Name] shut her eyes as she continued. There was no way in hell she could meet his cold blue eyes as she said those words, “I really wish I met you in better circumstances where you see that I’m more than just my anxiety.”

There was, what she felt, an uncomfortable silence after this. She refused to meet his gaze, but if she had, she’d have seen his widened eyes and a slightly shocked expression. He wiped that expression off before anyone would have seen, and back came a cold expression, almost as if she had said nothing at all.

Before he could say anything, however, a man came with both their food. [Name] was barely hungry now, her confession seemed a tad bit romantic and she feared she might get fired again, even if Levi had once told her that it wasn’t so easy. She stared at the salad that the man placed in front of her, and it was when she didn’t begin eating, did she hear Levi talk.

     “Dumbass,” [Name] waited. “Eat your dinner. It’s okay,” [Name]’s eyes widened slowly, before she looked up to meet his gaze. “It’ll take a lot more than those three meetings for me to believe you’re just your anxiety. Right now,” Levi smirked as he continued, “You’re just entertaining.”

[Name] blinked.

     “And being entertaining is better than anxious.” Levi said, as he began to eat.

     “What if I don’t want to be entertaining?” [Name] didn’t know where she got the sudden confidence from.

     “You’ll receive your promotions with time.” Came his response.

[Name] didn’t know why, but she found happiness in his words right then. She bit her lower lip and prevented herself from smiling widely like a fool. However, Levi caught her effort in trying to mask her reaction. She was, like he was aware, so genuine that it almost made him laugh.

     “If you want me to see you in a better light, you could have dressed better than this.” Levi joked, after swallowing a mouth full of rice.

[Name]’s face reddened again, like it was her constant state. After swallowing a piece of beef, and drinking a sip of water, she countered, “I—I didn’t know I was even going to see you! Moreover,” Now she began to think. “Why were you there?”

 _Why was he there?_ She thought before awaiting his reply.

     “I was going to buy junk food for dinner. Saw you tremble like a fucking leaf that it made me want to buy you dinner because you clearly were going to do the same.” Levi said, almost casually.

[Name]’s eyes widened. “You were going to eat junk food for dinner? _You_?”

     “What’s with _me_? I just own a company, it’s not a big deal.”

     “Are you _kidding_ me?” [Name] almost frowned. “Only you can say that it’s not a big deal.”

     “I worked my ass off and got rewarded for my efforts. There’s no big deal here—”

     “You have no idea what it feels like to live my kind of life.” [Name] said, a constant frown on her face.

Levi almost found her face cute.

     “Oh? And what kind of life is that?”

     “The one where you find your CEO so undeniably attractive that just breathing in front of him takes half your life away.” [Name] mumbled, taking a bite of her salad.

A moment later, her mind registered what her mouth had spoken. Her eyes widened and she dropped her fork, before covering her face with her hands. She squealed almost like it was her natural sound, and wanted to die right then and there. Levi laughed, and drank a bit of water so that he wouldn’t choke and die.

Both were so close to dying for two different reasons.

     “You think I’m ‘ _undeniably attractive_ ’?” Levi teased, still laughing.

     “You are never going to let me live that down.” She said, her face still covered.

     “But, it’s the truth.” Levi countered, still pushing her.

A second later, his eyes widened. [Name]’s hands came down as she placed them on her lap. Levi took a look at her face right then—she was red faced, for sure, her face holding an expression that was quite unreadable. She looked embarrassed, but at the same time, she looked so fucking cute that he found it hard to breathe. He had always found her cute, but right then, when she was defenseless, she looked real.

She was breathtakingly genuine, and it killed him.

     “Please don’t fire me. I’m constantly giving you reasons that I’m a problem employee. I know you won’t care for my personal problems, so I won’t tell you any—”

     “You can. I’m not stopping you.” Levi interrupted.

[Name] froze. “Eh?”

     “You fucking heard me, don’t make me repeat myself.” Levi snapped.

     “But… But you’re my _CEO_ and I’m your _employee_ —”

     “All the more reason I am more aware of your well-being, right?” Levi asked, taking another bite of his food.

     “No! I mean, that’s… that’s wrong… But what I want to tell you is… I worked very hard for this job and please don’t go by the times I’ve presented myself as a problem employee.” [Name] said, her blush coming down a tad bit.

     “Alright. I won’t fire you. And why would I? I shouldn’t mind that a woman finds me _undeniably attractive_.” Levi smirked as he said this.

     “You’re going to be the death of me…” [Name] muttered, lowly. She was sure Levi wouldn’t hear her.

She was wrong. And maybe, alongside missing the fact that he heard her, she had also missed the fact that she had made his cheeks red and avert his gaze.

 _Fucking idiot_ , he thought before focusing on his food. _Fucking cute idiot._


	5. Good Breakfasts Don't Last

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi doesn't admit a great many things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Trigger warnings. Please read at your own risk.

The second [Name] woke up that morning, she felt it. Her stomach was tossing itself inside out, and her back had an excruciating pain that could only be explained by one thing. She felt nauseous, but it wasn’t unusual. _Ugh_ , she cried internally as she struggled to get out of bed, and noticed the dark red splotch on her covers. Tears filled her eyes, but she blinked them away.

     “I hate waking up to this,” She mumbled before pulling out the covers and heading to the bathroom.

After a bath, she felt a tad bit better than before, however, her mind was lagging behind. It was as if the day was moving much faster than her mind was used to, and her mind was still stuck to seeing the dark red splotch on her bed cover. [Name] never had too much pain with her period when she was younger, but growing up screwed things over. It was always the case with her. A younger [Name] had no anxiety, in fact, she was quite a talkative girl. A younger [Name] never had period cramps or pain, could have been an athlete had she been more...athletic. Growing up changed things for her, and clearly, it was not for the better.

It was a Monday. And she hated Mondays like most of the world. [Name] could feel the dread bubbling inside her as she drove herself up a wall to choose what to wear. No whites, she thought before eliminating the white clothes she had. No skirts, she thought before discarding the skirts in her mind. She chose to wear regular grey trousers and a sky blue blouse that hung slightly loosely on her shoulders. She grabbed her grey cardigan and looked at herself in the mirror.

Periods made her more anxious than regular. Her mind would constantly worry about spotting on her clothes, and that made sitting down for too long a problem. Since her job demanded her to work in front of a computer for long hours, this was a problem for her. However, taking walks was not looked down upon at the place she worked at, that’s where her anxiety proved to be a challenge. [Name] feared getting up and leaving her desk for walks, she feared doing anything out of the ordinary, she feared someone would notice her move and would notice her slack around—not working. She was scared her manager, the not so lovely Oluo Bozado, who always managed to catch her when her eyes were not pinned to her two screens.

[Name] sighed before brushing her hair loose, and felt another cramp hit her abdomen. Grunting, she walked over to her kitchen and noticed her brother ready a bowl of breakfast for her. Eggs, scrambled, and cooked sausages. She blinked once before looking at her brother who was smiling at her.

     “What’s this?”

     “Breakfast, my lovely sister, can’t you tell?”

She frowned before sitting in front of her plate.

     “I can tell what it is, but I can’t tell what _this_ is.” She gestured to her brother and herself.

Felix chuckled, “Relax. Nothing’s burned down and I don’t want a favor. Knew you were on your period so wanted to do something nice for you. You’re my sister, after all. And you take care of me.”

Her heart warmed at what her brother said. She fought back a smile before mumbling a thanks, and started to eat her breakfast quietly. Felix smiled a bit before eating his own, aware of how much his sister loved little gestures like these. She was fairly easy to impress, and he loved that about her. It was strange, when he was growing up, they barely knew each other. He wanted to get to know her better but she was always striving for something bigger and better. At odd times, Felix even thought that she didn’t want a brother. He liked that they grew closer now. He liked that he could even call her a friend.

He wouldn’t tell her a word about any of this or she wouldn’t let him live it down. Felix loved and cherished his sister, now more than ever before, and perhaps it was best if it was unspoken but understood between them.

     “How’s college coming along?” [Name] asked, chewing.

     “It’s great. My grades were dropping in the start of the semester, but I seem to be doing okay now.” Felix admitted honestly.

[Name] smiled before grabbing some more of the scrambled eggs. Felix chuckled before rolling his eyes.

     “I know I’m a great cook and all, sis, but geez, you eat like you’ve never eaten before.”

     “Home cooked meals are lovely to come by, little brother.” [Name] spoke, still chewing.

     “I hate staying in my college dorms anyway.” Felix answered, dejectedly.

     “You live here more than you stay there so don’t complain.” [Name] had finished her breakfast by then. She checked the time and groaned.

     “Don’t worry, my classes begin after 4 today so I’ll get the plates. Rush to work and be a hero, sis!” Felix said.

[Name] narrowed her eyes a tad bit, “I’m afraid of what you have in store for me now with all this niceness.”

Felix laughed.

 

* * *

 

[Name] rushed inside her office and breathed in relief when she saw that Oluo wasn’t still there. She noticed Connie, who ushered her to come to him, but she ignored him and placed her things on her table first. After taking a sip of water, [Name] looked over to Connie and blinked.

     “What’s up?”

     “I’m in love with someone.” Connie said, his eyes were literal hearts.

[Name] had no time for this. She was in pain and just remembered that she had forgotten to take her painkillers. She knew she could get them in her office, but her anxiety would rather her pretend she was fine than ask for help.

     “Who is it this time, Connie?”

     “Her name’s Mikasa, and she’s a new recruit at the data science team, and I am literally dying, [Name]. Dying.”

[Name] smiled a bit before patting her best friend’s shoulder. “Does she know you exist, Connie?”

     “Not yet, but—”

     “Are the both of you ever going to get to work? All I see is you two slacking off. It’s a shame how we’ve wasted good hirings on you two.”

[Name] and Connie both froze. _When did he get here?_ They turned to Oluo, who had magically arrived out of nowhere, and then returned to their seats, mumbling a soft apology each.

[Name] couldn’t ignore her stomach hurting. Her mind was begging her not to work, but she knew better. Even if Levi had told her himself that he wouldn’t fire her, she knew she couldn’t afford to slack off. He said it in a friendly way so that I don’t get intimidated, she thought before beginning her work for the day. If I slack off, of course, he’ll fire me in a heartbeat.

After working for a couple of hours, [Name] felt it. A tinge of cold where her warmth was. Licking her lips, her heart plummeted downwards, and her fingers began to shake. Unfortunately for her, Oluo was sat beside her cabin, and could note the second she takes her eyes off screen. However, this was an emergency. She knew something was off. She felt squishy down there, almost dirty—and she knew what it was. Tears filled her eyes and her hands went to her mouth in a reflex. This was her worst nightmare. _I should have walked more, I should have moved sooner—_

Nothing soothed her mind. The second she got up, the world would know. And if she sat down longer, the stain would only get bigger.

_I can’t believe this—_

She shut her eyes and laid her head on the table, tears threatening to fall.

     “Get up, [Name].” She heard a voice, and her eyes widened.

She gasped when she felt an arm grab hers, and brought her to a standing position. There were hushed whispers around her now, as Oluo pulled her to the middle of the team’s cabin. Everyone could spot her, everyone knew. Her mind shut down and all was darkness. It was like she was drowning and not a soul could save her this time.

     “I’ve been observing you and all you do is slack off,” Oluo began with his usual spiel, “I’m calling you out here today because—”

She couldn’t hold back anymore. [Name] covered her hands over her face and sobbed, not knowing what to say. Oluo blinked before cocking his head sideways, while one of his employees gestured to [Name]’s backside. His eyes widened and when the world thought he’d have a shred of sympathy, only the beast came out.

     “Do you not have a sense of hygiene? First, you come late. Second, you waste time and slack off without completing your tasks, and now—” Oluo scrunched his face up, “You’re filthy!”

It was as if her mind couldn’t believe this was happening. [Name] did not stop sobbing and she knew Connie could do nothing as well. But she prayed. She hoped this would stop, but stopping would not mean things would get better. Stopping would mean that this would only get worse with time, and people would not forget.

“Bozado, what the fuck are you doing?” A raised voice alerted everyone, including Bozado himself.

Everyone froze but [Name], who still continued to cry. She was ashamed, and her trousers were her highlight. Connie immediately sprang to her side and held her shoulders, he took off his jacket and tied it around her waist.

     “It’s okay, [Name]. Hey. Hey. Breathe—”

His voice was not reaching her. Connie was afraid, he knew what happened when she got like this. He knew her anxiety issues were dreadful, and he always tried to keep a happy face with her. He joked around, he fooled around, not wanting to ever see her like this. But here she was, bent and broken, yet standing.

A second later, a hand held her wrists, which were covering her face, pulling them down slightly. [Name]’s eyes were shut, but it didn’t matter.

     “Bozado, get the fuck out.” Levi’s voice was loud and clear.

[Name]’s eyes shot open and her [e/c] orbs met his steel blue ones. He nodded once before guiding her away from the area, before once saying,

     “One of you get her things.”

Connie’s jacket was around her waist, and Levi was holding her hand. But, she thought nothing. She felt nothing. Her heart was beating wildly against her chest and she felt like she could faint at any second. Levi watched her before clicking his tongue, anger bubbling inside his chest. How could this have happened? Oluo wasn’t one to taunt someone beneath him in such a manner, even though Levi knew he could be called an asshole. He wouldn’t admit it, but it pained him that this was directed at her. From the corner of his eye, he noticed Connie bringing her things.

     “S-Sir, I can take her home. She’s my friend—”

     “That’s alright, Springer. You can go mind your own business right now. I’ll take her.”

There was something about Levi’s tone that caught Connie off guard. However, with how dire the matter was, Connie knew that Levi was worried about his employee and what his employee thought of the workplace. The three of them got to Levi’s car, and Levi turned to Connie.

     “Put her things in the backseat. I’ll take her.”

     “She lives—”

     “I know where she lives. It’s somewhere near that supermarket.”

Connie narrowed his eyes a bit.

     “Sir… How do you—”

     “Good day, Springer.” Levi didn’t mean it, and Connie knew.

Once inside the car, Levi started it immediately after [Name] had put on her seatbelts. She was still under a state of shock, and Levi had a few things to complete before giving her his full attention. From the car’s bluetooth, he dialed Petra’s number.

     “Sir?”

This alerted [Name]. Levi had asked her to call him by his name, but Petra, his own secretary, called him sir? That didn’t make sense.

     “Petra. There was an issue down near the analog area. Oluo was being a dick. Take a look at it.” His voice was cold.

     “Already on it, sir. Is she okay?”

Levi looked at [Name], whose gaze was surprisingly on him.

     “She will be.”

The call ended a second later.

     “Why are you taking me home?” [Name] asked, not knowing what else to ask. She still felt the coldness beneath her, but she prayed the jacket would be enough to not let it stain on the seats. Even though, realistically speaking, she knew it wouldn’t stain the sheets, her anxiety told her otherwise.

     “Because you’re my employee—”

     “And Connie is my best friend.” [Name] said, cutting him off.

Levi was shocked with her sudden confidence, but he knew better. He knew that her confidence did not come from a positive place. She was angry, and this was displacement. Levi didn’t care.

     “Listen, I witnessed something that should never happen to any employee anywhere. I’d take anyone home, not just you. Breathe. He’s fucking scum for pulling that stunt, and he’s not getting away with it—”

     “Thank you.” [Name] said, tears filling her eyes once again.

Levi would never admit how much he hated to see her cry.

     “But please,” The man turned to her as he drove. “Don’t be so kind to me.”

She wasn’t aware if this was the post anxietal limbo that was making her talk or if it was the anxiety itself. [Name] felt nothing at the moment, and that nothingness was driving her to feel something. And perhaps, in all that chaos, [Name] was saying what she was saying.

     “And why not?” Levi would never admit that his heart was beating rapidly against his chest.

     “I have a bad history when it comes to admiring the wrong person.”

And moreover, Levi would never admit that perhaps, this was maybe what he wanted to hear. 

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Do let me know what you think! :)


End file.
